Ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines



Aug. 1, 1939. w.;1. SPENGLER Y IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1936 J a V",

INVENTOR.

BY 5 0W A ORNEY.

Aug. 1, l939. w. J. SPENGLER IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed Feb. 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A ORNEY.

Aug. 1, 1939. W.-J. SPENGLER IGNITION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed Feb. 27, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Mater J 6' Patented Aug. 1, 1939' UNITED STATES IGNITION APPARATUS FORINTERNAL COM- BUSTION ENGINES Walter J. Spengler, Sidney, N. Y.,assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporationof Delaware Application February 27, 1936, Serial No. 66,077

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to ignition apparatus for internalcombustion engines and more particularly to timer and breaker mechanismof a battery ignition system for aviation engines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a. novel combinedbreaker and distributor structure which is strong and rigid while simpleand light in construction, and eflicient and reliable in operation.

It is another object to provide such a device which is completelyshielded to prevent radio interference, but is readily disassembled soas to provide easy access for inspection or adjustment.

It is a further object to provide such a device in which there isprovided a particularly rigid mounting arrangement for the distributorarm, which cannot vibrate loose.

Another object is to provide such a device embodying special provisionsfor eflicient insulation and to prevent flash-over between high tensionconductors.

Another object is to provide such a device embodying a novel form ofautomatic spark advance which is readily adjustable to control theaction thereof.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a vertical substantially mid-sectional view of a preferred.embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view in perspective partially broken away to show theinterior construction;

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the casing cap and high tensionterminal block, partially broken away to show the construction;

Fig. i is a detail in perspective of the intermediate casing sectionwith the breaker mechanism mounted therein; Y

Fig. 5 is a perspective view from above of the base section of thecasing showing the driving member journalled therein with thecentrifugal coupling elements mounted thereon; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, partly broken away, of a centrifugalcoupling element and its mounting means.

Referring first to Fig. l of the drawings, there is illustrated ametallic shield and easing comprising a cup-shaped base section 0adapted to be attached to a suitably formed mount on the internalcombustion engine by means of a mounting flange 2. An intermediatemetallic casing section 3 in the form of a cup is nested on the basesection i, being suitably retained thereon as by means of cap screws t.A cap section 5 is arranged to fit over the intermediate section 3,being retained thereon by suitable readily detachable fastening meanssuch as indicated at 6 in Fig. 2 whereby a completely enclosed metalliccasing is formed.

A drive shaft I is journalled in the base section I as by means of aball bearing 8 and carries at its upper end a driving flange 9 centrallyapertured and provided with a bearing bushing ll.

' The bearing 8 is retained in the base section I by a ring I2 threadedtherein and is rigidly connected to the drive shaft 1 by means of a nutI3 threaded thereon. Suitable packing means M is preferably provided in'the base section 5 around shaft 1 to prevent excessive lubricant passingup into the distributor assembly. also to retard flow of lubricant outof the distributor assembly.

A driven shaft I5 is mounted in the intermediate casing section 3 bysuitable means such as a ball bearing I6 and is provided with a pilotextension l'l entering the bushing H in the drive shaft. An intermediateportion of the driven shaft is formed as a pinion l8, and a pair ofcentrifugal coupling elements in the form of toothed sectors l9 arepivoted on studs 22 in the driving flange 9 in position to engage theteeth of the pinion It. Studs 22 are fixed in the driving flange 9 as bymeans of pins 23 (Fig. 6). The coupling elements l9 are weighted asindicated at 2 3 so as to rotate clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5, underthe action of centrifugal force, and since the drive shaft is rotatingcounter-clockwise as indicated by the arrow a, centrifugal force acts toadvance the driven shaft with respect thereto by the action of thesectors IQ on the pinion l8.

U-shaped springs 2E5 are provided for opposing the action of centrifugalforce on the elements I9 and for this purpose one arm of each spring isanchored to its pivot stud 22 by means of an anchor member 28 retainedby cap screw M. The opposite arm of each spring is similarly anchored bymeans of a member 33 to a stud 35 (Fig. 6) mounted rigidly in theintermediate pertion of the element l9 as by means of pins 35, themember 33 being fixed thereto by a cap screw iii. The anchor members 28and 33 are formed to slidably receive the arms of the springs 26,whereby loosening of the cap screws 3i and 3? permits longitudinaladjustment of the springs whereby their eifectiveness may be varied inorder to control the action of the centrifugal coupling means.

A breaker cam 39 is keyed on the upper end of the driven shaft l5 asindicated at Al in position to operate a pair of breaker devices 40 asbest seen in Fig. 4. The upper end of the cam 39 is formed with a doubleD section 39' and a distributor member 42 is formed to fit non-rotatablythereon. The driven shaft I5 is provided with an opening runningthroughout its length, and a bolt 43 (Fig. l) is arranged-to traversethe openably mounted on the distributor member 42 in position tocooperate at its outer end with the terminals 48, and connected at itsinner end by a spring strip 52 to the central terminal 49.

High tension cables 53 are arranged to enter the top of the cap 5through apertures provided with suitable retaining means 54, sleeves 55of di-electric material being arranged to surround the cables and extendinwardly adjacent the contacts in the terminal block. Spring conductors56 are provided for connecting the cables to said contacts, and flanges51 are formed in the termi nal block, as best seen in Fig. 2, extendingup-- wardly so as to overlap the sleeves 55 and effectively preventflash-over from one contact to another.

. The intermediate section 3 of the casing is also provided with anopening having insulating and clamping means indicated generally at 58for receiving and anchoring a cable 59 conducting primary current to thebreaker mechanism 40.

In order to provide for a certain amount of fixed timing adjustment, themounting flange 2 of the casing is. preferably provided with elongatedopenings 6| for receiving suitable means for attaching it to its enginemount.

In the operation of the device, rotation of the driving shaft 1 in thedirection indicated by the arrow a in Figs. 1 and 5, is transmittedthrough the centrifugal coupling l8, If! to the driven shaft l5 torotate the cam 39 and distributor member 42. The breaker mechanisms 40are thus actuated by the cam 39, and the distributor arm 5| is caused torotate to connect the central contact 43 with each of the contacts 48 insequence, in the usual manner. Rotation of the driving shaft above apredetermined minimum speed causes .the weighted sectors E9 to rotate ontheir pivots and advance'the driven shaft l5 with respect to the driveshaft 1 and thereby advance the timing of the breaker and distributormechanism with respect to the engine functions. The inception and amountof such advancing action can be readily controlled as above set forth bymeans of the longitudinal adjustment of the U-shaped governing springs26.

The cap 5 of the casing with the terminal block 45 isremovable as aunit, which removal exposes the distributor and breaker mechanism forintimer and breaker mechanism built up of units each having its owncasing section and each being removable as a unit.

Although but one embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments arepossible ammo;

and that various changes may be made in the proportions and arrangementof the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the claims appended hereto. What is claimed is:

1. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines a timer anddistributor unit including a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a breaker camand a distributor arm mounted on the driven shaft, and automaticallyvariable means for coupling said driving and driven shafts including a'member operable by centrifugal force to advance the driven shaft withrespect to the drive shaft, and means yieldingly opposing such action inthe form of a loop of spring material longitudinally adjustable to varyits effectiveness.

2. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines a timer anddistributor unit including a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a breaker camand a distributor arm mounted on the driven shaft, and automaticallyvariable means for coupling said driving and driven shafts including apivoted member operable by centrifugal force to advance the driven shaftwith respect to the drive shaft, and a U-shaped spring opposing suchaction having one arm anchored to the pivot of the centrifugal memberand the other arm anchored to said member, said spring beinglongitudinally adjustable to vary its stiffness.

3. In a timer and distributor for internal combustion engines a casing,a drive shaft and a driven shaft coaxially journalled therein, a pinionon the driven shaft, 2 toothed sector pivoted on the drive shaft adaptedto mesh therewith, said sector being so weighted that centrifugal forcecauses pivotal movement thereof in a direction to advance the pinionwith respect to the drive shaft, a pivot pin for the sector fixed to thedrive shaft, a pin fixed to an intermediate portion of the sector, aU-shaped spring, and means for non-rotatably anchoring the arms of thespring to saidpins with provision for longitudinal adjustment to varythe effectiveness of the spring.

4. In a timer and distributor for internal combustion engines a casing,a drive shaft and a driven shaft coaxially journalled therein, a pinionon the driven shaft, a toothed sector pivoted on the driveshaft adaptedto mesh therewith, said sector being so weighted that centrifugal forcecauses pivotal movement thereof in a direction to advance the pinionwith respect to the drive shaft, a pivot pin for the sector fixed to thedrive shaft, a pin fixed to an intermediate portion of the sector, aU-shaped spring, deformable clamps having sliding engagement with thearms of the spring and non-rotatably mounted on said pins, and means fortightening said clamps and fixing the same on the pins.

5. In ashielded timer and distributor structure for internal combustionengines, a complete metallic casing including a cup-shaped base, anintermediate cup-shaped section and a casing cap, a driving shaftrotated by the engine journalled in the base, a driven shaft journalledin the intermediate section and having at one end a pilot bearing in thedriving shaft, a breaker cam keyed on the opposite end of the drivenshaft, a distributor rotor mounted non-rotatably on the cam, and adistributor block mounted in the casing cap in position to cooperatewith the distributor rotor.

WALTER J. SPENGLER.

